“Help! I don’t understand.” Many English language students have problems listening and feel embarrassed. Do you find yourself struggling to understand native English speakers? Do they sometimes speak too fast or use words you do not know? Do phone conversations make you nervous? You are not alone! You can say goodbye to embarassement because in this lesson, I will teach you THREE STEPS you can follow to help you become a better listener and develop confidence when listening to others. I will also teach you some helpful expressions to use in these situations. Watch the video, and you will start having better English conversations immediately!

Test your understanding of this English lesson

Test your understanding of the English lesson by answering these questions. You will get the answers and your score at the end of the quiz.

If you didn't understand the first time, you can say, "Could you please _________?"

slowly repeat morewrite down itrepeat thatsay it in the way different

Choose the correct beginning of the sentence:"______________ write it down?"

I couldCould please youCould you pleaseCan please you

To express that you did not understand or hear something, you can say, "I'm sorry. ___________."

I get it.I no understand.I don't catch.I didn't catch that.

If you don't understand someone, what strategy can you use?

You can ask them to write it down.You can ask them to say it in a different way.You can ask them to speak more slowly.All of the above are correct.

If you want to be sure you understand someone, you can say:

So what you're saying is...So you are saying what is...So what you is saying are...So you is saying what is...

To ask someone to repeat what they said with different words, you can say, "Could you please _________?"

say it in the same waysay it in the different waysay it in a different waysaid it in a different way

When you don't understand what someone is saying, you should:

look scared, nod, go home, and cryshow you don't understand, run away from the conversation, hidenod, say "I understand", smilesay you don't understand, ask them to say it in a different way, confirm you understand by explaining what you understood

In English, is "I no understand" a correct sentence?

Yes.No.

"I get it" means:

I repeat it.I understand.I am confused.I don't understand.

Choose the correct sentence:

Could you again say that please?Could you please write it down?Could you please write down it?Could you please again that repeat?

I think curious that after some time listening a person that you consider difficult to understand you begin to understand that person. It is like if we needed a training specifically to listening that person. :D

Talking on the phone probably keep being the nightmare for who is training listening. :O

Thank you for telling me the good strategy to listen to others. Truth be told, we Japanese have the tendency that we don’ t ask questions to make sure what others said even though we are unsure about it. We actually hesitate to ask because we don’t want to show that we couldn’t figure out what they said. However, I learned that we should follow the same language manner that native speakers do when speaking English. I think listening and speaking English just as native speakers do will help EFL learners build native mind of English in their head and eventually they will be successful in getting English automatized in their mind. This might be a good process to be a better speaker of English for EFL learners.

Brilliant! Thank you for your strategies. They are very useful in communication. Emma, I like your video lessons and the way you teach. But sometimes we, the students, have some questions in our minds. And the best way to know the answers is the help of our teacher. What I want to say is it would be better if you could answer to our questions from time to time. It can settle our doubts. Besides, it has a good influence on students.

That was excellent!! I usually apply the option B, so I know I can’t listen and speak well for that. I’m more confused every day. I really like to understand when the people speak me:(
It’s so difficult lister than speaker to me.

For sure I understood you and learnt the ways to communicate to others when I can’t catch the conversation meaning. Very important matter!

When I was in Toronto, a certain time ago, I remember that in some ocasions in which I needed some general information and couldn’t understand completely what a unknown person just said, I usually nodded, smiled, and ran to other person to ask the same thing, until I fill the parts I couldn’t catch before :)

Thank you for the interesting and helpful lesson.I like it alot.
I’ve just got 9/10.Hic.But I want to do it better so I will listen to your lesson again and try to do perfectly.
Sometimes,I’m confused how to ask a person to repeat what they’re saying but now you help me to do.
Thank you!^-^

Hello everydoby¡¡ I think this steps are very useful to improve our skill to speak English…Is very important to practice them to feedback tne EngVid team and share our experience with the team…nice friday and God bless you¡¡¡

thank you teacher Emma for your very good lesson ive learned a lot listening is one of very difficult for me specially talking on the phone , speaking is not so difficult coz sometimes i use body language and gestured ,this lesson help me a lot specially your 3 strategy ．Ｔｈａｎｋｓ,I injoyed to your lesson ,waiting to your next lesson ….

Thank you. I’m English beginner, but your lesson is very easy for me. I can listened and understood what you say.
So what you said that when I didn’t understand what someone say, I should represent it, ask it in a different way, and confirming understood content, isn’t it?

Thanks!
so what are you saying is that:
1.- Be honest and say “I am sorry but I dont understand.”
2.- Ask for help in a friendly way. “Could you please repeat that in a different way?”
3.- Make sure that I got it, explaining what I heard. “So what you’re saying is…”

Thank you Emma. It helps me more confidence when I have to speak English with other person. I dont’t know to say anything if I don’t understand what they said. Now, I can ask them to write it down. more easier.

Hi Emma,just like the way you taught us! You are awesome and I will keep watching your videos.I think you really understand what situation will embarrass us such as answering a phone or asking for detail things.Anyway, thanks for your video😊😊😊🌸^_^

Emma, thanks for that useful video. But I have a problem. When I listen tv,movie,radio etc. I can hardly understand. What can I make for that problem? Do you have any methods?

Monday, September 5th 2016

Reply to this comment

Dear @Platanus,
If you’re phasing any problem regarding listening. then mark my words.
pay very close attention on listening and keep trying to listen it over and over. That’s the think you can get rid of your problem.

Unbelievable…
It’s 3rd time, I’ve got 10/10.
A ton of thanks Emma Mam. I think i get what you were saying in your whole lesson. It’s very useful for me.All that expressions,I would be used in my daily life conversation with my family, acquaintances, teachers as well as my girlfriend to improve my English.
If i will phase any problem, then I will show that I don’t understand and ask them.
I’m sorry, I didn’t catch that. Could you please say it in a different way.
In a nutshell, Emma Mam I want to thank you very much. Because of you I’m improving my English skills day by day.
God bless you Mam.
Regards..
M. Saad

Thanks a lot Emma.
Sometimes, I have difficult in understand the speaking english. If I watch a TV news, I don’t get what the journalist say completly.
And, to finish my comment, I would like to say that you are a great teacher, and I can understand you perfectly, because you speak slowly and clearly.
See you.

Hi, Emma! It was an interesting topic, thx! Actually, I got you, that’s why i passed the quiz after it perfectly. 10/10.
It seems to me that you and Rebecca are my favorite teachers there, thx again!))

If you don’t understand (someone), what strategy can you use?
You can ask (them) to write it down.
You can ask (them) to say it in a different way.
You can ask (them) to speak more slowly.
i think we must use (him) not (them) ?
that is right or not ?

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Learn English for free with 1240 video lessons by experienced native-speaker teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of ESL students worldwide who are improving their English every day with engVid.

Learn English for free with 1240 video lessons by experienced native-speaker teachers. Classes cover English grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, IELTS, TOEFL, and more. Join millions of ESL students worldwide who are improving their English every day with engVid.